Rangers complete sweep of Red Sox

Beltre wins it with RBI single with two outs in ninth

Associated Press

Associated Press

Published 8:38 pm, Sunday, May 5, 2013

Texas Rangers' Adrian Beltre, left, is grabbed by Leonys Martin, center, and Craig Gentry after Beltre hit the winning RBI single to score Elvis Andrus in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Sunday, May 5, 2013, in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers won 4-3. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Yu Darvish struck out 14 and Adrian Beltre hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning as the Texas Rangers beat Boston 4-3 Sunday, completing a three-game sweep and matching the Red Sox for the best record in the majors.

The Rangers, Red Sox and St. Louis all have 20-11 marks.

Beltre lined a hit to right-center off Clayton Mortensen (0-2) that sent home Elvis Andrus, who had reached on a two-out single and moved up on a wild pitch. The Red Sox then opted to intentionally walk Lance Berkman.

Darvish matched a career high for strikeouts and left after seven innings with the score tied. Rangers closer Joe Nathan (1-0), the third reliever, worked around a walk and a hit in the ninth.

While Darvish had 14 strikeouts for the second time this season, the right-hander from Japan allowed multiple homers in a game for only the second time in his 36 starts for the Rangers. David Ortiz and David Ross homered in the first two innings.

The game was 3-3 when Darvish threw the last of his career-high 127 pitches to end the seventh, denying him a chance at his sixth victory to equal the most in the majors. He did increase his majors-best strikeout total to 72.

Red Sox left-handed starter Jon Lester, with a 4-0 record, also got a no-decision after seven strikeouts in six innings.

Note: Red Sox reliever Andrew Bailey is set to have an exam and MRI after not pitching for a week because of biceps soreness.